M151 A iii 12 u OV – The conjunction is written with
E ii 13 u H ii 28 u the sign Ù in O, against U in the other sources.
(^) V 11 u O ii 5 ù
(^) M152 A iii 12 IGI.LÁ (^) me OV – A and GG spell innammarū, “it
is seen,” with the full composite
logogram, against the short form in E and H. (^296)
E ii 13 IGI me
(^) GG ii 9' IGI.LÁ H ii 28 IGI meš (^) m[e
(^) M153 A iii 12 IGI.LÁ (^) me SV(1) – O has the singular verb form,
E ii 13 IGI H ii 28 IGI mešme (^) innammarinnammaruū, against the plural form, , in the other sources. (^297)
O ii 5 IGI.LÁ
GG ii 9' IGI.LÁ m[e (^)
M154 A iii 13 KUR-ma OV – V has a phonetic complement attached to the verb inappa", “they
(the stars) will rise,” lacking in the
other sources.^298
E ii 14 KUR-ma H iii 1 KUR-ma
(^) V 12 KU]R-O ii 6 KUR-ma ḫa-ma
(^296) Because the plural marker is treated as part of the same semogenic unit as the form to which it is at-
tached the difference in the spelling of the plural marker between the sources here is not counted. 297
It is possible that O could preserve an unmarked plural form. The subject of the verb is almost certainly
plural; the full clause reads: ina Addari UD 15 Nūnu u Šību innammarū, “on the 15th day of Addari, Nūnu
and Šību are seen.” Nūnu, the constellation Piscis Austrinus, forms part of the astronomical path of Ea,
while Šību, the constellation Perseus, forms part of the astronomical path of Anu. This means that the two
constellations are distinct entities, existing as they do on two distinct and separate astronomical paths. Thus
the verb form in O might reasonably be considered an unmarked form of the plural verb, innammarū, made
necessary by the certain plurality of the subjects to which it refers. It remains, though, that the plain sense
of the text as we have it is that O has the singular verb, innammar. And, given the irregular representation
of listed proper nouns and their coordinating verbs already discussed above (see note ), it seems most pru-
dent to take the text at face value here. 298
The verb in the parallel sources is inappaḫma. It is therefore difficult to explain “-ḫa” in V as a phonetic
complement. It may be a ventive suffix, but one might more reasonably expect the form inappaḫamma
rather than inappaḫḫama, as it appears in V. As well as the orthographic problem with the ventive we find
the forms “KUR-ḫa” for napāḫi and “KUR-ḫa-nim-ma” for inappaḫūnimma in J and N (see below M190 et
passim, and note ). Thus the ending “-ḫa” is an obvious phonetic complement in J and N and it would be
reasonable to understand it similarly in V. Cf. A.R. George, Gilgamesh, 350 and 438, where some mixing
of CV and VC signs is noted in Assyrian orthographies.